Saturday, September 8, 2012

The Lagos State Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN) on Friday recommended that only trained personnel should be allowed to fumigate homes and industries.

Mr Lawal Oludare, the president of the association, made the recommendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said that fumigation involved the use of chemicals which must be administered properly to avoid wrong usage.
According to him, wrong usage of chemicals can be injurious to health.

He said that the state ministry of environment was planning to set up a committee that would ensure adherence to rules and ethical conducts of environmental health Officers.

Oludare stressed the need for all industries, private and government establishments to comply with the law regulating the conduct of fumigation and pest control services.

According to him, there is need to get rid of rats that have invaded both homes and offices.
``In all industries, there is need for `de-ratisation’; that is making a work place free from rat.

``They will fumigate such premises against all other pets, like where mosquitoes breed and all these things are identified; and we serve notices; and actually enforce law on them.

``We want to ensure that when that committee is put in place we will go from place to place to ensure that the right personnel is the one that is actually fumigating and controlling pests. ’’
He noted that when chemicals were wrongfully used, they could lead to health problems.
``If wrong bio-chemicals are used in fumigation, basically the danger is inherent on the entire environment which includes human existence.

``The wrong chemical, when used inappropriately, either in the under-dose form or over-dose form, would amount to health problem.

`` It’s either the result is not gotten, that the rats pests are not controlled or human lives are endangered by accumulation of unregulated chemicals.’’
The association president advised that chemicals used in fumigation should be regulated by the National Agency for Drug and Administrative and Control (NAFDAC).

He also suggested that the agency should also determine the right doses of chemicals to be used during fumigation as well as the right personnel to be engaged.

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I am an environmental public health practitioner; obtained B. Tech Public Health, from Federal University of Technology, Owerri 2011-2014; obtained National/Higher National Diploma [HND] in Environmental Health Technology from School of Hygiene, Kano 1997-2001.